Ward is the owner of the Brigadoon Brewery & Brew School, which operates a brewpub at the Texas Renaissance Festival each fall. Ward also teaches homebrewing classes and, in a lightly publicized manner, offers brides-, grooms- and in-laws-to-be a chance to brew their own celebratory stouts and ales. The beers are then kegged or bottled for serving after the vows are wrapped up.

At least 10 couples have done so already, and that number is likely to grow as expected law changes allow Texas brewpubs more leeway and as the nation's interest in craft beer shows no sign of abating.

For the second year, Boston Beer Co., maker of the Samuel Adams line and the largest U.S.-owned brewery, is releasing a limited batch of its Brewlywed Ale and inviting the betrothed, the recently married and anyone looking for a unique wedding gift to the brewery to purchase the corked 750ml bottles.

People can start queuing up for the Belgian-style ale at 7 a.m. on June 26, and the first 20 to show up in bridal attire get to move to the head of the line.

Brewery accounts of last year's event describe a crowd lining up early to buy the beer and three couples getting hitched by a local justice of the peace. Boston Beer founder Jim Koch is repeating his offer this year to serve as best man.

Closer to home, Saint Arnold founder Brock Wagner says his brewery has hosted at least four weddings and "lots" of receptions and rehearsal dinners over the years.

Last December, Sean and Nena Reith Lamb won a contest for a Saint Arnold-themed wedding at Market Square park. The brewery picked up the tab for the ceremony and a night at the Hotel Icon. Saint Arnold marketer Lennie Ambrose officiated and Wagner doffed a chauffeur's cap over his Hawaiian shirt and shorts to drive the newlyweds away in the Saint Arnold tie-dyed Bentley.

It was a fitting ceremony because, as Nena notes, she met her future husband through the Dixie Cup homebrewing competition and the two got engaged at the Petrol Station bar. The wedding vows were sprinkled with references to their favorite beverage and the groom concluded by promising "to always love you more than I love beer."

"Craft beer has had a pivotal role in my dreams coming true," Nena says.

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Likewise, beer played a prominent role in the more recent union of Joel Swift, an active homebrewer with the Connoisseur's Club of Smoking and Drinking, and Heather Hinzie of the Houston Downtown Management District.

Wedding guests were given a commemorative beer glass and directed to the bar, where an eclectic variety of brews - from commercially brewed sours to an oak-aged stout made by Swift himself - were on tap.

Homebrewers long have made their own beer for weddings; Koch likes to tell the story of making the first batch of Samuel Adams Noble Pils for his daughter's. Those who don't already brew in the backyard can contact Brigadoon for help.

For a fee that starts at around $200, Ward will host your group at the brewery and provide the equipment, ingredients and expertise to help you prepare for the big day. Sometimes, the groom and his groomsmen will show up and sometimes it's the bride and bridesmaids. But Ward seems to like it best when the fathers/fathers-in-law team up. Bonding over hops and malts might be the first opportunity the men have had to get to know one another, he says.

To give these wedding beers time to mature, Ward says you need to plan to brew at least four weeks ahead of time - longer for some heavier beers.

He also suggests making three batches: one for the groom, one for the bride and one higher-alcohol beer to be packaged in 12- or 22-ounce bottles that can be stored and - like that slice of frozen wedding cake - enjoyed on the first through fifth anniversaries.